A few days ago, I wrote about the potential brittleness of our defence, and although there is still a good chance that the team will get strengthened in the next few weeks, we should also hope for a more attack-minded style of play that will alleviate the pressure on our defence to a large extent.

The coming season holds the very exciting prospect of two super fast and multi-dimensional Arsenal wings: Theo and Debuchy (maybe even Jenkinson) and Sanchez and Gibbs. With Ozil, Jack, Ramsey, Santi and Rosicky in the middle we also have the sort of players who can pick them out and send them flying forward. The one thing that is missing is a top quality, defence-minded midfielder who can co-connect the back with the front (together with the B2B midfielder), who can protect the back-four and win balls to start of our attacks, who bosses the midfield with ‘Presence!’ (with respect to the American-Kiwi Prof) as well as perfect positioning and reading of the game, and who leads by example throughout the game.

We have had many discussions on Bergkampesque on the sort of midfielder we need to add to the team to get the balance absolutely right. Some, including me, prefer a more traditional DM but with good passing skills; and others want another box to box type of player who can do a bit of defending as well. On the one hand, there are the Macharanos, De Jongs and Wanyamas and on the other hand we have the Schweinsteigers, Khediras and Yaya Toures. At this stage, I would welcome any style of midfielder, as long as they are top quality and experienced.

We have become heavily reliant on Ramsey, who had the perfect start to the season and falls more into the latter camp. He has had a long break and a true professional as he is, will be chomping at the bits for another fully committed and successful season. This could be his year. He works well with either Arteta or Flamini, but it is fair to say that both are more suited for back-up than being the all-season force we require. I am still not convinced Jack should play in the double DM-pivot, but that is for another discussion.

The one player who could fully make our season is of course Abou Diaby.

A fully fit and dedicated Diaby should be THE wish for the coming season for every Gooner. The prospect of him and Rambo bossing the midfield, supporting the back four and feeding the four advanced attackers, is just so appetising. Diaby is a pretty complete midfielder, and I would settle for him in a heartbeat IF he would be able to play a full season for us.

But we know that we just cannot go down this path as the risks are too high. Let’s give Diaby a season in which he hopefully makes 15+ starts and take it from there the season after next.

In the meantime, let’s be sensible and buy a quality DM/all-round midfielder who has everything we need to move us forward. It looks like the club is seriously looking for a quality defensive midfielder, but we have been here before and recent comments by Arsene are pointing in the direction of ‘wait and see how our midfielders will come through the pre-season’. Or is this all just bluff by Wenger to land his prime target? All will be revealed in the next six weeks, and I am curious to hear your views. 🙂

Total,
I found my self agreeing with all you write.
The Diarby bit especially , he has that presence , i have big hopes for him this season.
For me the thought of Di-flem teaming up on on our rivals puts a smile on my face, you would not want them 2 swinging kicks around your ankles lol, it would defo add some steel to our defence and for me further free up Rambo to attack in a freer role.
Even Di-Art in the Dm pivot would be good, but i must say i prefer Di-Flem in my mind.
But like you saId we should go hope for an injury free season really . Or do we just chuck him in at the deep end?
Well depends on the pre-season i suppose./ Lets hope he has a good 1. Against Boreham he was the player on the pitch that stood out the most to me.

great post TTL,
If wishes were horses then bks….how I wish we could buy those little niggling injuries off diaby with our puma money lol.diaby will be the perfect candidate bt for now keeping my fingers crossed on that one.another option would be wanyama,the perfect bully and shield for our more advanced midfielders.
Hope arsene is looking….

It is clear that Wenger will begin to apply his strategy of rotational midfielders to the defensive midfielders as well. That means he could use Ramsey,Wilshere,Flamini,Arteta,Diaby and possibly Vermaelen (if he stays) as well as the Ox and maybe Coquelin or another youth player as backup. I see him rotating Jack and the Ox from DM to AM positions as well. Sanchez,Santi,Ozil, Rosicky,Gnabry and possibly Podolski are available for the AM roles so we have depth AND experience for the entire midfield.

TA,
I agree on Eisfeld,he does need games and i like Fulham and have been to the cottage many times.But he was a player i thought was going to be coming though this season, i was there last season in the cup match v West Brom when he scored and will remember him for that fondly. Good luck to him, tbh i think he could give Jack a run for his money but i wish him well and hope we put a buy back clause in his contract lol
I thought Opina signing would have been done by now.??
Still we know for a fact Wenger has far from finished in this window, i am looking forward to seeing who we get next 🙂

On Wanyama, i really wanted him last summer and really we should have taken him, he wanted to come to us and would have been great.
I get the feeling we could get him of the Saints if we tried.
TA,
I want the Mascherno type of DMB but ideally a bit taller and stronger still if possible.
Or to throw this one out there for a brave bid—– Philip Lahm io would love to get him of Munich as a DM he would also give us cover for basically all defence positions. I know he would not be cheap even at his age but he may fancy a newe challenge and like teaming up with the other German Gooner’s.

Tony,
You on about Victor?
If so me and Total were backing him daily on here last summer, he was 1 of both of our most wanted TW signings, but we let him slip though our fingers. Even more so last summer as we had just lost Song.

TA,
I did not watch Southampton really really closely last season even though i watched them play us at the Emirates, but him and Morgan S must have been a really important rock for Southampton last season, i feel a bit sorry for them how there team has been ripped apart this summer so far.

For me it’s William Carvalho all day long – he’s young and better than Wanyama. Wanyama to me is a destroyer but we need someone who can first win the ball and then set a counter-attack in motion or play safely out of the back to maintain possession.

He’s a defensive-minded beast who would provide cover for our back four and release amsey to attack more freely.

All any of us seem to want is a destroyer of some description. I wouldn’t care if he was 5’0″ with no finesse on the ball as long as he reads the game well, tackles well, doesn’t give the ball away easily (apart from the dwarfism I’m describing Diaby here, I know – such a crying shame that we just can’t rely on his fitness) and sits in front of the back four, breaking up opposition play in the middle of the park.

I saw a profile of Carvalho (produced based on speculation that he was an Arsenal transfer target) on the Mirror website and liked what I saw. He turned down playing for Angola so he could represent Portugal which suggests faith in his own ability.

I agree with TA that Wanyama looks perfect for the job (or certainly the job I would prefer one of the pivot having on a full-time basis 🙂 )

Apparently Wenger will trust Jack with the job though, which I have a few problems with:

1. Like Diaby, we can’t rely on his fitness.
2. He’s impetuous (I fully back his right to smoke, but for me it bespeaks a lack of discipline, which would be critical if he were shackled by permanent defensive duties – see next point).
3. He’s better going forward and that is what he wants to do.
4. He hasn’t got the physique for it,

Hi TA.. You keep warm this group each day.. hehehe..
Nice to see all your comments guys..

I like Strootman.. hehehehe.. but De Jong will be a great addition for us.. You know me.. hahahaha.. And Diaby.. well you know how much I loved him.. hahahaha..
I hope he will be our next Ramsey this season.. comeback stronger.. from zero to Hero..
If Diaby is fit enough throw all season than Arsenal will be at their best..
And with Diaby, Ramsey, Wilshere, Arteta, Flamini, Ox and Coquelin (and new DM) .. Wenger will be very confuse to chooce his double pivot every single game..

Ozil can play twice and one off.. or maybe even 50:50.. so he can stay on top..
Cazorla and Rosicky can do his job.. and I think Wilshere and Zelalem also..
Even our strikers will have a lot of time to get a good rest.. with Giroud, Sanogo, Akpom, Walcott, Sanchez, Podolski, Campbell, Gnabry, and also Cazorla to play as our trisula forward.. then we can hope that no more injury like Walcott, Ozil or Ramsey got.. Wenger can rotate smoothly this season..

And We are ready for all cups.. with our depth now.. hehehehe..
But UCL and EPL must be our priority.. TOP Priority.. hahaha..
Can wait to see Giroud, Walcott and Sanchez to score 20+ goals each.. hahahaha..
Who will be our top scorer..?? I choose Walcott.. hehehe..

Oh and including Giroud that means 13, sorry, not 11, players for 6 positions.

Diaby will obviously be injured immediately so maybe Wenger brings in a player to cover him… Hmm.

The problem is that Wenger won’t want to buy more than 3 players for the first team. Sanchez and Debuchy are already covered. That does leave us one more potential starter but with a spare goalie and likely new centreback required as well… Would we really buy 5 players?

We have only really signed one player which is Sanchez. Debuchy and Ospina (or whatever other GK) are replacements for gaps that have to be filled on the squad. Wenger has said he will buy 3 players and that is why I am expecting a DM and a CB (in addition to Verm) at the very least. I was expecting those players to come in anyway but his words have supported my thinking.

Can’t wait to read your recap’ Dylan. Otherwise, just a quick comment from me – agree with most I’ve read so far, but for me, and whether we get a box to box/volante/regista/destroyer, I’d want him to have decent pace – something that our current DMs (and Per, and Santi, and Pod, and Jack to an extent) lack. Some aerial capability in midfield would be nice too…

I would actually love to see Diaby play 30 games this season, few things would make me happier,